By Post Staff

The Seaport Planning Advisory Committee (SPAC) on Wednesday voted 5-4-1 to oppose the request to remove the port priority use designation from Howard Terminal at the Port of Oakland, which would be necessary before billionaire John Fisher’s luxury real estate, ballpark and office development could go forward.

The SPAC is a subcommittee of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), a state agency which protects the Bay. During four and a half hours of discussion, speakers and sub-committee members considered various complex issues having to do with the uses and need for Howard Terminal, the proposed site of the development. The recommendation of the subcommittee will go to the BCDC, which will make the final decision.

During the discussion, some committee members were concerned that the development would take away space at the Port that is necessary for Port operations. One of the considerations was what is the likely rate of growth for the Oakland Port in coming years.

Oddly, the executive director of the Oakland Port argued that Oakland’s rate of growth was likely to be “slow,” meaning that Howard Terminal was less likely to be needed. Some of the public participants in the Zoom meeting found it surprising to hear the executive director of the Port denigrating his agency, arguing that the Port he is charged with leading has had “slow growth” and will continue to have “slow growth” in spite of demand for expansion of Port capacity around the world and the serious supply chain issues facing global transport.

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Observers attempting to explain this anomaly thought perhaps it was related to the fact that Mayor Libby Schaaf is the executive director’s ultimate boss, and she is avidly pushing for the Fisher development.

Future dates in this process:

• April 1: Staff Report Released
• April 21: Commission Briefing in Cargo Forecast
• May 5: BCDC Public Hearing
• June 2: BCDC Public Vote